Clip for contoured hair



CLIP FOR CONTOURED HAIR Filed Nov. 28, 1952 INVENTOR. FEM mass ST Mflqaa uaa Patented Nov. 24, 195 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIP FOR- CONTOURED HAIR Frances S. Waggener, Davis, Calif.

Application November 28, 1952, Serial No. 322,880 4 Claims. (01.132-46) This invention relates to clips for clamping a lock of hair that is contoured or wound on the human head in a predetermined form, and more particularly relates to such clips which are resilient and unitary in construction. It is particularly adapted for gripping a lock of hair where it is desired that the hair be held between fiat surfaces and substantially even pressure applied by resilience over the entire gripping area of the clip.

Broadly, the invention comprises a unitary open frame of resilient wire or narrow strip material, having an elongated upstanding spring tension finger grip provided with a relatively even fiat clamping portion in a plane perpendicular to the fingergrip to engage one surface of a lock of hair which has been wound or contoured to a predetermined form, and resilient prongs parallelly underlying said clamping portion for sliding into the formed lock of hair to engage the opposite surface of the contoured hair and resiliently hold it between the clamp and prongs.

Though the clip is for general purposes in holding a lock of hair ina predetermined shape, it 'is particularly desirable Where the lock of hair 'to slide the prongs of the clip to one side of a lock of hair; its resiliency in its parallel clamp and prong members makes it self-gripping on the hair and self-adjusting to varying thicknesses of locks of hair; its members engaging the hair may be very narrow strip material and not interfere with readily drying hair; it presents narrow surfaces to eliminate absorption of heat which may burn the scalp when the head and hair are placed under a mechanical heat dryer; it provides for an even gripping pressure on the lock of hair over the entire hair surface, due to the relative parallelism and width of the clamp and prong members which grip the hair as distinguished from pivoted prong clamps which not only become tangled in the hair at the pivot, but also grip tightly adjacent the pivot and loosely at the free end of the prongs, thus tending to slide away from the coil of hair and also making the dried contoured hair show a deformation mark of the clamp. The clip of this invention is gripped and manipulated from above the engaged lock of hair and requires no space at the end of the clip for gripping of fingergrip levers, such as is necessary with the pivoted prong clips. Consequently the shaped hair units on the head may be formed more closely together, and if desired, in smaller units.

It is the object of the invention to provide a hair clip having the foregoing advantages and to overcome difiiculties found in other types .of known hair clips. With such objects in view, exemplifications of preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention, with a coil of hair shown therein in broken'lines.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the invention in normal position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the invention with a coil of hair shown therein in broken lines.

Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a perspective-view of another modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, It indicates generally the clip of the invention and- II indicates generally a fiat spirally wound coilof hair contoured or wound to a predetermined form, the illustrated example herein being known in the trade as a pin curl and is illustrative for purposes of the present description of the invention. This type of curl is moistened and spirally wound in a type of coil which, in the process of forming, lies fiat on the scalp and is gripped in that position by the clip.

In its preferred form the clip It comprises an open frame of resilient strip material bent upon itself. As illustrated in Fig. 1 there is a single strip of resilient wire first bent double at a loop 9 to provide a completely integral clip, but the loop ie may be eliminated, in which case the clip consists of a pair of strands of spring wires.

The wire strands are tightly twisted upon themselves to provide a finger grip l2, and when so twisted form a finger grip of substantially in tegral resilient material. It is to be understood, however, that the clip may be formed of an integral strip of stamped metal or formed of plastic or the like. However, it will be more clear in this description to refer to the finger grip as inter-twisted wire so as to conform to the illustrations of the drawing.

The finger grip I2 is arcuate in substantially semi-oval form to provide an effective elongated length. At one end of its oval arc, which may be termed the rear end, the two strands of intertwisted wire are spread and retroverted as at I3 toward h q pe i e n of e ln pt r me s p provide I ent anc s, b o S; 4: W m ate Ina plane siibstantially perpendicular to the plane of the fingergrip member I2, the plane of the finger: grip member being substantially the center line between the parallel spaced prongs.

At the opposite end of the oval arc the finger:

grip I2 is divided into a pair of depending arms |5a divergingly spread in enfl nvertedeil the open end of the V extending to a pos 2 closely spaced proximity, to the prongs '|-4"provi-ding an angle of resilience [5 in spaced relationto the nee end Hi of the prongs. The diverging ends of the arms are bentangularlyupon themsaves atthe angle I5 and. are turned rearwardly toward the opposite end of the fin'gergrip and paran r to. andin overlying closely spaced; relation to the prongs I l, thus providing a gripping portion or clamp member I-I the strips or -wires oil which are preferably sinuously bent in. a horii finger grip member I 2 with relation to the prongs I4, is at an angle 20 which connects the underlying prongs with the finger grip member, whereas the resilience of the rearward portion of the overlying clamp member I! is responsive to the forward angle i5. The leverage of the length of the prongs l4 and the clamp members I! from said respective angles l5 and 20 provides ample resilienee so thatwhen the prongs are inserted at one side t; or; between a lock of formed hair and the scalp 2|, the mere manual pressure of inserting the free ends of the prong by means of zontal: plane as at I 8: so that the two stripsof v theclampprovidea relatively large and wide gripping area overlying the prongs l: 4.. From the structure. thus described. it will be. noted; that the fingergrip member-atthe .end which sup- 'portsthe' prongs. extends, through the plane of the clamp. memberv I]: in order that the prongs may underlieithe. clamp. 7

It; the clip. be madesof a single strand of 'wire bent .up'ontitselfi the wires: or strips. forming the clampportion L'I may beiconnectedain. a loop. [:9 .at,the rearend, .sothat-the pair otstrips. forming .11 is to; be understood', however; thatthesinm bendng; lflmfithestr sor the clam-p portion be; e iminated s nce. forn rizig. the, ole-mam ie t ier t. ali ed s r ps... m y be refenredmrsom .-pe. .son:.as-.e1im. ingentan ineq t esi iupnseither q q, .Q 9.Q1.-.. i ha modificas slipw 1 2.31 '1; h h h str p Lt erestraieht rali nedkth 2. onnec s-ma e rear e d i-the cl mp 1 share he hoawiibn. u ne pw rdly a 196 similarly as in Fig. 6. H 7

'llheaent t n b in .Q. esi1. ent ma er at. all

ee-1 asyw etr ii gs-" i i amp Bu F r e 91 e fi in. l in nt of fresilience, it may benotedthe resilience of the clam in h hairwhe slidin .thecl p retirees a hi the finger grip member causes an opening of the clamp at the forward end adjacent the angle [5,

due to the long leverage of the prongs from resilient angle 20. As the lock of hair is slid into theolipbetw een prongs l4 and clamp H, the second factor of resiliency of the clamp member at angle I'5-is effective to permit the rear end portion I9 of the clamp member to raise equally with .itsfiorward end, sincethe resiliency of the angles t5. and 20. are, both. substantially, equally eiiieotime, for this-purpose. Yet, When the lock of between. he clamp; an h pr gs, the s me degree oi resiliency bein e fi ctiveat both end tithe. lamp prov dfix a eq ali ed. p sure n the coiled: hair betwe n. paral el. r pp nememhers, .T e simiqus. til-Ives 8; employed th nreie recli rm. h c amp. m m rprov e an area of holding over a correspondingly enlarged i rmades ri edth nvntio r hatj s aim enia ands. ent sz...

' I h l e he ina rede ermine ign 2212 2 1. 2 re ilien Qpen. frame. av n membeins 1d fing r. g p membe I- a new p ermine esi i n lams mea a ae ee rend su artp the plan t finger grip member, the fingergrip member overyin center ine i; he re ative yspa t is. en n i he fineh he plan o .YiQQdimq abe m mbers na P n y; aralleling the p an c aim? me bersa d 2 in in ,qepesit -d recce rm am eiip tlantions relatively from tifeirrespective connections attlefie erer ainembee A dev ce: of th h racter described; having Land. n which a d-cl m ously bent in the, plane thereof members providing a relare. c am ea 9 hacl mp. me ber d ice of th oh rapter described having lend-. 5 which he n fe s are. i nltii g lal and. connected at I rBANCEs"s.T-wAo EnER.

No} references cited, 

